Automatic liquid dispensing gun

ABSTRACT

Automatic liquid dispensing gun, comprising a structure provided with a connector for coupling to a pipe for feeding a liquid and with a nozzle designed to be inserted in a container designed to receive a dispensed liquid, the nozzle comprising a duct for dispensing the liquid which is controlled by an actuation handle and an air intake duct which reaches a device adapted to block the dispensing of the liquid when the inflow of air ceases, the gun further comprising an element that is sensitive to the passage of the liquid and is connected to a sensor which transmits signals to an electronic board capable of recording the dispensed quantity of liquid, with transmission of the data item related to the dispensed quantity to a display accommodated within the structure.

The invention relates to an automatic liquid dispensing gun.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Nowadays so-called automatic guns for taking liquids from cisterns or large tanks and dispensing such liquids into containers are widespread. An extremely common example is of guns used in fuel stations located along the road network which take fuel from buried cisterns and transfer it to the tanks of motor vehicles.

Such guns comprise a structure provided with a connector for coupling to a pipe for feeding the liquid and with a nozzle designed to be inserted into the container designed to receive the dispensed liquid, and such nozzle comprises a duct for dispensing the liquid which is controlled by an actuation handle operated by the user and an air intake duct which reaches a device adapted to block the dispensing of the liquid when the inflow of air ceases, as occurs when the level of liquid in the container being filled rises to the point where it blocks the inlet of such air intake duct.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The aim of the present invention is to provide an improved automatic liquid dispensing gun.

This aim is achieved by an automatic liquid dispensing gun, according to the invention, characterised in that it comprises the features defined in the appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Further characteristics and advantages of the present invention will become better apparent from the description of two preferred, but not exclusive, embodiments of the invention, illustrated by way of non-limiting examples in the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIGS. 1 and 2 respectively show a side view and a plan view of the gun according to the invention;

FIGS. 3 and 4 show enlarged details highlighted in FIG. 1;

FIGS. 5 and 6 respectively show a side view and a plan view of the gun according to another embodiment of the present invention;

FIGS. 7 and 8 show enlarged details highlighted in FIGS. 5 and 6.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

With references to the FIGS. 1 to 4, the reference numeral 1 generally designates a dispensing gun which comprises a structure 2 provided with a connector 3 for coupling to a pipe for feeding a liquid, and a nozzle 4 designed to be inserted into a container designed to receive the dispensed liquid.

The nozzle 4 comprises a duct 5 for dispensing the liquid which is controlled by an actuation handle 6 operated by the user, and further comprises an air intake duct 7 which reaches a device adapted to block the dispensing of the liquid when the inflow of air accommodated in the structure 2 (and not shown in the figures) ceases.

A feature of the invention consists in the presence of an element that is sensitive to the passage of the liquid and is constituted by a turbine 8 which comprises a magnet 9 functionally connected to a sensor which is constituted by a reed ampoule 10 which transmits signals to an electronic board 11, which is powered by means of batteries 12 and is capable of processing such signals so as to record the quantity of dispensed liquid which appears on a display 13.

Moreover the electronic board 11 is also provided with a further function that consists in the possibility offered to the user to program, by means of buttons 14, the quantity of liquid that is desired to be dispensed.

To this end the gun 1 comprises means adapted to block the air intake duct 7 which are activated upon a command that arrives from the electronic board 11 when the value of the quantity of liquid that is programmed for dispensing is reached. The arrest of the inflow of air to the aforementioned device present in the gun consequently causes the arrest of the flow of liquid dispensed by the gun.

Such means comprise a flow control element 15 which is retained by the action of a spring 16 in a position for opening the duct 7, as shown in the figures and in particular in FIG. 3 which indicates the flow of air with arrows, and is provided with a magnet 17 designed to be operated by a fixed coil 18 which is connected to the electronic board 11 to provide the translational movement of such flow control element toward the position for closing the duct 7 when the value set on the board 11 is reached.

Finally the numerals 19 and 20 respectively indicate a button to start operation and a button to reset the previous readings.

FIGS. 5 to 8 show another embodiment of the invention, generally indicated with the reference numeral 21, which again features the presence of the turbine 8 which comprises the magnet 9 functionally connected with the reed ampoule 10 that transmits signals to the electronic board 11 which is capable of processing such signals so as to record the quantity of dispensed liquid which appears on the display 13.

By means of a button 22 the device is calibrated, and by means of a button 23 the previous reading is reset.

The invention as described is susceptible to numerous modifications and variations, all within the aim of the appended claims. Moreover, all the details may be replaced with other technically equivalent elements.

The disclosures in Italian Patent Application No. MI2010A000403 from which this application claims priority are incorporated herein by reference. 

1. An automatic liquid dispensing gun, comprising a structure provided with a connector for coupling to a pipe for feeding a liquid and with a nozzle designed to be inserted in a container designed to receive a dispensed liquid, said nozzle comprising a duct for dispensing the liquid which is controlled by an actuation handle and an air intake duct, which reaches a device adapted to block the dispensing of the liquid when the inflow of air ceases, the gun further comprising an element that is sensitive to the passage of the liquid and is connected to a sensor which transmits signals to an electronic board capable of recording the dispensed quantity of liquid, with transmission of the data item related to said quantity to a display accommodated within said structure.
 2. The automatic gun according to claim 1, further comprising means adapted to block the air intake duct, which are activated upon a command that arrives from the electronic board when a value of the quantity of liquid dispensed that is set by the user on said board is reached, consequently stopping the flow of the liquid dispensed by the gun.
 3. The automatic gun according to claim 2, wherein said means adapted to block the air intake duct comprise a flow control element, which is retained by the action of a spring in a position for opening the duct and is provided with a magnet designed to be operated by a fixed coil, which is arranged so as to wrap around said duct and is connected to the electronic board in order to provide a translational motion of said flow control element toward a position for closing the duct. 